


April Showers

by Mizuni_no_neko



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Almost typing May Day as May Gay, Dog Walking, Flower Shops, M/M, Posting leftist content on May Day, RusAme Discord Monthly Prompts, leftist jokes, mood, non-binary America, protecting squatters rights, rain storms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23943424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizuni_no_neko/pseuds/Mizuni_no_neko
Summary: Alfred is running hella late and needs to walk his dog before she pisses in his houseIvan has had a long day, but pet parents never restOh, and it's about to rain.They were in sight of the flower shop when the clouds broke open and the rain began to fall first in a pitter patter then in sheets. Laika knew what to do immediately, pulling him towards the flower shop and under the awning to get out of the rain. Another man walking his dog must have had the same idea because the space was already occupied when he got there.“A borzoi!” The stranger exclaimed, kneeling down to let Laika sniff his hand. The retriever that seemed to have him on a leash more than he had her charged over to Ivan to sniff his pant legs, unaware or just unconcerned that she had wrapped her leash around her owner.“Oh, Laika doesn't really like-” He stopped short as the dog licked the man's hand a few times and butted her head up under his hand for pets. “-strangers.” He finished weakly.
Relationships: America/Russia (Hetalia), Belarus/Prussia (mentioned)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 57





	April Showers

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, also a Ivan gets thrown up on and it's implied that the kid was so backed up that he vomited fecal matter onto him. This is not graphic, it's just something that happened to him at work. 
> 
> I'm late, but like...deal with it. My laptop broke and I'm lazy, give me a break.

Alfred checked his watch frantically as he skidded around the corner, breaking back out into a run down his street. He jumped over a toddler running away from his mom, ducked under a couple of college kids moving a couch, and caught himself on the street lamp outside of his door right before he ran past it. He swung himself off of it, bolting through the door to search frantically for something. 

“Sadie! Sadie, here girl!” He called, whistling. “You better not have pissed in here already. I swear to fucking god, dog.” He mumbled to himself, the hick twang of his childhood momentarily rearing its ugly head. “Sadie!” 

A golden retriever bounded excitedly through the house, claws skittering on the tile of the entrance hallway. She flopped all over herself, her back legs sliding as they fell out from underneath her when she came around the corner. She slid all the way to rest at her owner's feet, grinning up at him with her tongue hanging out like she had meant to do that. 

With a fond chuckle, Alfred grabbed her leash from the coat hanger by the door and hooked it onto her collar. “You ready to go, Sadie? Time for a walk! Who wants a walk? You want a walk!” He cooed at her, scratching her ears and chin. “And who's going to kick yer fuckin' ass if you shit in my house? That's right! Daddy is~” 

Sadie, absolutely unaware that she had just been threatened, scratched eagerly at the door. “Alright, alright. Hold your horses.” Alfred laughed as he wrapped the leash around his hand and opened the door. She was a golden streak as she shot down the hallway, tugging at the leash as Alfred was forced to follow.

“Sadie, don't pull.” Alfred said sternly, holding firm on the leash. But the dog only tugged harder, and he was nearly yanked off his feet. “Sadie! I said don't pull!” He said, trying to pull her back. In response, she just made a full circle until she had the leash wrapped around his legs. 

“This is going to be a long walk.” Alfred sighed. He squinted up at the overcast sky, feeling and smelling rain in the air. “Let's hope it's not too long.”

~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~

Ivan rubbed his itchy, tired eyes as he dragged himself up the stairs to his apartment. Each stair felt like a trek up a mountain after 16 hours at the hospital with only a short nap in between shifts. He felt terrible, heavy and groggy with a pounding headache, and he smelled just as bad. A kid had come in with bowel issues and had thrown up unmentionable things that weren't supposed to come out of one's mouth right onto the front of his scrubs. Humans weren't meant to digest things twice.

Laika sat patiently at the door waiting for him, as always. The white borzoi regarded him calmly even as he passed right by her with nothing but a pat on the head. “Sorry, Laika. I need a shower first.” He said, barely bothering to enunciate his words. The dog couldn't understand him anyway. He trudged into the bathroom, throwing the ruined scrubs in his bag straight in the trash as he passed. That was the third pair this month!

He showered quickly and thoroughly, scrubbing his chest red and raw in particular with scalding hot water. It felt nice, and his tired muscled began to relax under the spray. By the time he got out he felt warm and sleepy, every ligament loose and his eyes heavy. He stared longingly at his bed as he dressed but, remembering Laika, he put on his shoes and grabbed his keys out of his pocket. 

“Are you ready to go, Laika?” He asked, hooking her leash to her collar as he opened the door for her. She sniffed at the doorway for a moment before trotting out, then looked back at him as if to ask if he would be joining her. 

“Let's finish this quickly.” He told her as they walked down the stairs. “I thought it looked like rain when I was coming home.”

~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~

Alfred groaned and looked askance at the sky as Sadie sniffed around the 10th tree without actually doing her business. They'd gone three blocks farther than he usually walked her, and she still hadn't done more than sniff around. The sky was getting darker, and Al could have sworn he'd seen a raindrop or two out of the corner of his eye already.

“Are you kidding me?” He cried as she passed up yet another tree, pulling him father down the street. But finally, finally, she deigned to do her business right outside of a quaint little flower shop that Alfred had never seen before. He admired the bright display of sunflowers growing from pots that had been left out to get some sun as Sadie went. They were well cared for, clearly, big and tall. 'They must get plenty of sun outside of the shop like this.' He thought to himself. 

Bent down to pick up her leavings, Alfred felt a fat raindrop plop wetly onto the back of his neck. “Aw, shit.” He said, wiping it off as he stood up to look at the sky. Just as he tilted his head back, it opened up and sent what felt like a bucket full of water falling straight at his face. 

“Dammit!” He hissed, snatching his glasses off of his face so he could see properly and tugging Sadie under the flower shop's awning. “Just our fucking luck, huh girl?” He said as he wiped his glasses off on his shirt, squinting up at the sky. “At least we can wait under here until it lets up a bit.”

~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~.-.~

Ivan had decided to take Laika about a block further than he usually did, despite the looming rains. It had been too long since they'd just been out on a walk, and there was that cute flower shop that always had the sunflowers outside. After a long, tiring few days, Ivan thought maybe he deserved it. So once Laika had done her business, they just kept walking.

They were in sight of the flower shop when the clouds broke open and the rain began to fall first in a pitter patter then in sheets. Laika knew what to do immediately, pulling him towards the flower shop and under the awning to get out of the rain. Another man walking his dog must have had the same idea because the space was already occupied when he got there. 

“A borzoi!” The stranger exclaimed, kneeling down to let Laika sniff his hand. The retriever that seemed to have him on a leash more than he had her charged over to Ivan to sniff his pant legs, unaware or just unconcerned that she had wrapped her leash around her owner. 

“Oh, Laika doesn't really like-” He stopped short as the dog licked the man's hand a few times and butted her head up under his hand for pets. “-strangers.” He finished weakly. The man before him was beautiful, with eyes like the summer sky and hair that was nearly the same color as the sunflowers behind him. He looked so at home among them, like he had always been growing there beside them and Ivan had just never noticed.

“Well she seems to like me!” The man said, his laugh was clear and brassy like a church bell. “Laika, huh? Like the Soviet space dog? This is Sadie, she's named after Sadie Hawkins dances cause she picked me. Laika's a really Russian name. Are you Russian? You got a funny accent.” 

“You have a funny accent.” Ivan snorted, knocked out of his trance by the stranger's well-intentioned rudeness and his incessant chatter. “We're in New York, not West Virginia.” 

“Trust me, I know. Take me home, country roads.” He grumbled affably. “I honestly hate it here. Not the region, just the city in particular. But a job's a job.” 

“What do you do?” He asked, trying to untangle the man and the retriever. 

“Uhhhhh...” The man stalled, looking everywhere but at Ivan. 

“You know, you don't have to live in New York to be a stripper.” Ivan said, his stare unamused but mildly incredulous. 

“I'm not a stripper.” The man laughed again, throwing his head back and clutching his chest. “I'm a labor organizer. I work with a socialist non-profit that helps give legal aid to squatters. Honestly, saying I'm a stripper would be easier to explain to most folks.” 

“Are you talking about Housing for Life?” Ivan asked, shocked. “I donate to that organization!” 

“Oh, wow!” The man said, standing up to look at him fully. “Thanks for paying my salary, then, I guess!”

“You helped my sister and her husband stay in their place. They're anarchists living in a punk house in Queens.” Ivan said, sudden excitement taking over him as he realized he could finally thank one of the people who helped his sister stay off the streets. 

“Gilbert and Natalia? I know them! I love your sister, dude. She's such a wild card. Gil could do with a shower, though.” The man said, that bell-like laugh ringing through the air again. 

Ivan gave him a sour look. “Gilbert could do with a lot of things.” He grumbled. 

“Oho! Sounds like someone thinks Nat married down.” The man teased. “Wait, if you're Natalia's brother, that must make you Ivan!” He said, a huge grin on his face as he stuck out the hand that wasn't holding his dog's leash. “I'm Alfred! Alfred F. Jones. The F stands for 'fuck the police' or 'fight the system'. Your pick.”

“Both very good options.” Ivan laughed. “How about F for 'fully automated luxury gay space communism.'?” 

Alfred snorted. “I prefer fully insurrectionary queer space anarchism.” He shot back, trying to prevent a mischievous smirk that nonetheless shone through in his blue eyes. They danced like fairy fire on the bog, beckoning Ivan deeper. 

“How about we agree on fully radical non-straight cosmic left unity.” Ivan shot back, his own smile barely contained. 

“Oh so we're specifically coming for the straights now? Your sister will be devastated.” Alfred laughed. 

“She'll live, they're both pan.” Ivan snorted, the rain forgotten in the face of a funny, bright, gorgeous new conversation partner. 

“What about you?” Alfred asked, and Ivan didn't have to try hard to guess that the man was fishing. 

“About as straight as a circle.” Ivan said, grabbing his keys to show Alfred the rainbow hammer and sickle key chain “You?” 

“I mean, in order to figure out my sexuality, I'd have to pin down what the fuck gender I am first.” Alfred deadpanned. 

“Gender is fake.” Ivan replied, shrugging. 

“Fake news.” Alfred agreed with a sage nod. “My gender is be gay, do crimes.” 

“I thought you said you were a lawyer.” Ivan said, a shocked little laugh bubbling up from within him. 

“Oh, right. Uh...my gender is be gay, but don't tell me what you get up to in your spare time.” Alfred amended, a shit-eating grin on their face. 

“What if I'm gay in my spare time?” Ivan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That may be something I'd like to hear about, then.” Alfred said with a wink. 

“Maybe when the rain stops you could come back to my apartment and I'll show you my Madonna records.” Ivan said as he gave a wink back. 

“Oh, wow! You think you're smooth.” Alfred said, a hand on his chest again as he laughed that brassy church bell laugh. 

“I think the rain is stopped.” Ivan said, glancing out from their safe haven. He didn't see many droplets anymore, and what few there were seemed to drip from the awning itself. 

“You're really laying it on thick, aren't you?” Alfred teased. 

“No, really. I think the rain has stopped.” He said as he gestured out to the damp city street they had fled. 

“Huh...I think you're right.” They said, sounding almost disappointed. “I guess...that means I should go home.” He looked back at Ivan as if he wanted to dare him to give him a reason to stay. 

“Or you could come back to my apartment and see my Madonna records.” Ivan offered again, smirk in place and a hint of a promise in his voice. 

“I do _so_ love Madonna.” Alfred said, his head tilting back and forth as he pretended to consider it. “Alright, what the hell. I don't have court until Monday.” 

“More squatters?” He asked as he took Sadie's leash and started to untangle her from her owner. 

“Nah, an immigration case at my second job.” Alfred said nonchalantly, ducking under the leash as Ivan passed it over their head. 

“Two jobs? As a lawyer?” Ivan asked with a concerned frown. 

“Non-profit work doesn't pay well, and all of these orgs are strapped for people. I do what I can.” Alfred said, shrugging. He took the leash from Ivan once he and his dog had successfully been separated and nudged her out into the street so they could leave. 

“That must be exhausting.” Ivan said as he whistled lowly for Laika to follow as he ducked under the droplets coming from the roof and caught up to Alfred. 

“Yeah, but sometimes when I'm running late and my dog won't just do her business, I get to meet cute comrades in front of a flower shop and they invite me back to see their Madonna records. So it's not like my life is devoid of joy.” Alfred said, his eyes dancing like ghost lights again. 

“Happy to do my part.” Ivan said as he casually slid an arm around Alfred's waist as they walked. They didn't look at him, but out of the corner of his eyes he could see their lips pursed as if trying not to smile.


End file.
